FINKE, GR; BAILLEY-BECHET, M; P. Univ. Cat�lica de Chile: Scaling of transient wave forces in Concholepas concholepas during the early stages of impact

The mechanisms by which wave induced forces affect the biology and ecology of marine organisms have traditionally focused on hydrodynamic forces such as drag, lift and accelerational forces. Nonetheless, transient impingement forces have been suggested to play an important role as well, however they have all but escaped the attention of biologists. Coastal engineers have realized that the greatest damage to coastal structures is incurred by the impulses during the first tenth of a second after impact. In this study we examine the transient wave forces acting on Concholepas concholepas, a Muricid gastropod that inhabits the coasts of Chile both in a laboratory tank and in the field, with the goal of determining how these forces scale with body size in Concholepas.